The Oncoming Storm
by Hobbit985
Summary: The regeneration has only just taken place and Rose has some questions that need answering. She can't sleep with the thoughts burning away, like a storm in her head.


"You know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek home world? The Oncoming Storm. You might have removed all your emotions, but I reckon right down deep in your DNA there's one little spark left. And that's fear. Doesn't it just burn when you face me?"

Rose lay awake as thought after thought drifted round her head. If she hadn't known better she would've thought that the Time-Vortex was still in there, but she knew it would be a lot more painful than this. The pain she was experiencing at the moment was emotional. The loss of her best friend. Rose knew that regeneration only meant his outer appearance and some of his traits changed, but she still found it hard to accept that the new man she was travelling with, was still the Doctor. It just wasn't the same; he wasn't _her _Doctor.

The TARDIS creaked and Rose turned over. Somehow she knew the TARDIS was having a time adjusting as well. After all it must be difficult when you're owner has changed several times.

Rose gave up trying to sleep and sat up. There were a lot of questions she needed to ask and things she needed to get off her chest and she wasn't going to be able to get a moments peace until she talked to him.

She stood up and wandered out of her room and down the corridor in her teddy bear pyjamas. Rose looked in at his room and wasn't surprised to find it empty. The Doctor walked the corridors of the TARDIS most nights.

She tried the library, the kitchen, the huge wardrobe, even several rooms full of strange objects that she had no idea of the use for.

"Where is he?" She muttered hoping the TARDIS would give her a clue. The TARDIS creaked and Rose was almost sure it was a little voice murmuring "The control room".

Rose tried it and found she was right. There was the Doctor messing about with levers and switches at the TARDIS control panel. She watched him for a while. He always seemed to find something to fix or readjust.

Rose cleared her throat and the Doctor looked at her expectantly, as though he had been waiting for her to announce her arrival.

"What are you doing?" She asked, stepping into the room a little more.

"Just having a little chat with my friend here," he replied patting the control panel. Ah, now she understood why the TARDIS had been creaking.

The Doctor took a few tentative steps towards her.

The Oncoming storm 

"What are you doing?" He asked in mild interest, not wanting to sound accusatory.

"Couldn't sleep." She muttered. "I need to ask some questions."

The Doctor gulped rather obviously.

"I wondered how long it would be." He said bending down and opening the floor to get to the underside of the control panel. The Doctor lowered himself in and Rose sat cross-legged just to the side of the hole. "Go on then. Ask me anything."

"Can you remembering everything we did together?" She began. Rose didn't want to be the only one who remembered all their escapades.

"Yeah. Though my recollection is probably fuzzier than yours." He replied tinkering with the TARDIS controls, using his sonic screwdriver to weld things here and there.

"So, you're still exactly the same person inside?" Rose asked carefully.

"Yup. Still stuck with daft old me. Only, in this new body." He smiled a sad smile. The Doctor knew what the knowledge was doing to her inside. He could hear her screaming the thoughts in her head, could sense the pain she was going through.

"So what exactly happened on the game station?" Rose asked screwing up her face trying to remember. "All I remember is looking into the heart of the TARDIS and then waking up again after I saved you."

"Well, you came out the TARDIS and you destroyed the Dalek's. Then you told me… you told…" The Doctor cleared his throat. He could feel the tears welling up inside. "You said you could see across the whole of time and space. Everything that was, is, that ever will be and… and I dunno… I just felt… like I was home."

Rose could hear in his voice how much effort it had taken to answer her.

"But I knew you couldn't stay like that. It would've killed you. At least I could regenerate. You couldn't. So … I…I…" Again the Doctor paused, but on looking up and seeing the warmth of Rose's eyes he continued. "I kissed you."

There was a slight pause. Rose wasn't shocked by the information. Deep down she'd known it was something like that. The Doctor hoisted himself out of the hole and stood up, Rose following.

"Did you…do you…?" Rose couldn't quite bring herself to say it.

"Yeah. I love you Rose Tyler." The Doctor took another tentative step towards her.

The Oncoming Storm 

Rose looked at him straight in his deep brown eyes, though she missed his old intense blue ones, she'd grown to like the warmth behind his hazel eyes.

"I…I love you too." Rose whispered smiling slightly. She was still confused about whether she'd loved the previous Doctor, this one, or both.

But instead of pondering this she stepped closer to him, seeking reassurance. The TARDIS groaned slightly and Rose uttered a little cry of surprise. They weren't touching but she could feel him. Inside her head, running through her thoughts and she understood, it was the psychic side of the TARDIS, which meant she could invade his mind.

Trembling slightly she found herself almost looking at his thoughts, she could see and hear the whole of time and space only this time it didn't hurt.

They closed the gap and kissed. It was like no kiss Rose had ever experienced. It was deeper and a lot more meaningful than any of Mickey's.

It felt like a storm in her head.


End file.
